So today we were at a loose end and new boy chris needed a hands on 101 regarding torsion bars and how to tweak them when they lose a bit of tension.
Ok so V-maxx say they drop -40mm to -75mm so we new they were not going to be lowriders from the start as we had some -85mm t4srus brand springs fitted to the camo van, the camo van -85mm springs were the very first set we had commissioned 4 years ago and it still had the stock dampers it left the factory with but it still handled very well with not a lot of body roll but some times the ride felt crashy due to the tired dampers and the front being wound down a little too far.
So first off we took some measurements as the van had a definite lean going on to one side and this is 99.9% of the time down to the front torsion bars loosing tension on one side more than the other, i have meant to adjust this for the last 12 months but you know how it goes ;)
Yep the fronts were out by approx 7mm which by the time that runs up to the rear means the rears were about 15mm out, so anyway i thought we will come to that after we fit the new rears.
Removed all the old parts from the rear and fitted the new V-maxx bits giving the coilover platform threads a good coating of coilover prep (free with OUR v-maxx kits),after we fitted them we could see that the rear had lifted a little.
On to the fronts we fitted the new front dampers and then set about the torsion bar adjustment, we wound the front up approx 5mm on the threads and then adjusted them so the front sat level, bit at a time we adjusted lowering one side and raising the other a couple of millimeters at a time so the front sat at the same ride height either side,a quick spin around the car park to settle it all and back in on a perfectly level floor we measured and adjusted a little more and it sat equal on the front and the rears was 2mm out from left to right so that's good enough for us.
So wound the dampening adjusters in all the way in on the rears making the valve smaller so the shock is slower and firmer and the front backed off all the way and then wound them in 6 clicks making them quicker and softer than the rears.
Out on the road WOW what a difference the van feels so much composed and not as crashy as we lifted it up slightly, the van sits 10mm higher than what it did with our -85mm springs which confirms V-maxx got their sums right as our -85mm drops a stock transporter -85mm unlike those crap £50 springs on ebay that claim -55/60mm that actually drop about 100mm and rides like crap !
I was curious to see how they would compress with some weight so 3 of the boys (approx 250kg) jumped in the rear end and the van hardly compressed.
In summary a nice competent kit which does what it says on the tin and you still have the ability to use your van as a van and allows you to drive through bends/roundabouts quicker and with more confidence than before, not crazy low but come on man up if you want "slammed" go get a mk4 golf on some
FK coilovers with an R32 sway bar and you will look cooler than an old builders van!!
Chris followed me home in his new 1.6 16v clio and could not believe how well the van went with the remap and how composed it was on the road and although he kept up with it he said at no point he would have been able to overtake me.
All good then and backed up by a u.k distributor, good on us i say bolting stuff on and trying it so you guys don't have to, now thats something a lot of sellers can't say.
CAREFULL YOU DONT SNAP THE ADJUSTER IF THE SHOCK TURNS
WHEN YOU TIGHTEN IT UP !!!
EMPTY
EMPTY
250 KG OF IDIOTS
FULL
FULL OF IDIOTS
EMPTY (NO IDIOTS)
EMPTY WITH 225/45/18 TYRES
TEA CAKE CRASH HELMET
